Carrier carton



Dec. 24, 1968 R. J. HENNESSEY 3,417,911

CARRIER CARTON Filed Sept. 5. 1967 "ii 3 H2? HG. 4 INVENTOR E G. 5 Russsu. J.- HEN/V5685) ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,417,911 CARRIER CARTON Russell J. Hennessey, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to Hoerner- Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 665,311 3 Claims. (Cl. 22937) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention lies in a carrier handle for use on a regular sealed end carton. A glue flap is provided to hold the wall panels in rectangular tubular relation. The glue flap preferably extends about half way across a carton end wall, and is provided with closure flaps which are anchored to the conventional closure fiaps of the carton. A handle panel is hinged to the edge of the glue flap and normally lies in the plane of the glue flap. Preferably a handle reinforcing panel is adhered in face contact to the handle panel. A finger opening is provided in the handle panel by providing a U-shaped cut line in the handle panel terminating at the fold line connecting the handle panel to the glue flap. The handle panel may be hinged into right angular relation to the glue flap to serve as a handle.

This invention relates to an improvement in carrier carton and deals particularly with a carton having a handle which normally lies fiat against a wall of the carton, but which may be folded into right angular relation to the wall when the carton is carried.

Various forms of handled cartons have been produced for many years. For example, cartons designed to contain suits, dresses and other garments are commonly provided with handles as they are of large enough size to be somewhat awkward to carry in any other way. More recently, the producers of other products have found a carrier carton to be of advantage. For example, a producer of dog food has found that a carton having a handle has been useful in promoting the sale of the product. The present invention resides in a handled carton which may be used for this purpose.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of handle which normally lies flat against a side wall of the carton so that the filled cartons may be shipped and stored in the usual manner. The handle is hinged to the side wall along substantially the center line of the side wall. When the handle is to be used, it is folded into right angular relation to the side wall to which it is attached so that it may be grasped and the carton carried in a convenient manner.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a handled carton in which a handle panel is hinged to a glue flap or fifth panel which overlies a side wall of the carton and is adhered thereto. A handle opening is formed in the handle panel by means of a generally U-shaped cut line at the center of the handle panel having the ends of the cut line terminating at the lines of fold connecting the handled panel to the glue flap or fifth panel. When the handle panel is hinged upwardly into right angular relation to the side wall, the portion of the panel defined by the cut line remains in the plane of the glue flap, thereby producing a finger opening through the handle panel.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a handle reinforcing panel which is hinged to the edge of the handle panel along a line of fold which is parallel to the fold line connecting the handle panel to the glue flap. This handle reinforcing panel is adhered in face contact to the handle panel, and not only serves to reinforce the handle panel, but also to provide a smooth double thickness edge at the top of the handle panel when it is in use.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the carrier carton with the handle in carton carrying position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the carton with the handle in inoperative position.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the blank shown in FIGURE 3 after the handle reinforcing panel has been secured in face contact to the handle panel.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the flat folded blank at the completion of the gluing operation.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken carefully through the top portion of the carton with the handle in raised position indicated in FIGURE 1.

The carrier carton is indicated in general by the letter A, and is formed of the blank illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The carton blank includes a side wall panel 16, a face panel 11, a side wall panel 12 and asecond face panel 13 hingedly secured together along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16. A glue flap 17 is hingedly connected to the face panel 13 along a fold line 19 which is parallel to the previously described fold lines.

The glue flap or fifth panel is of a width substantially equal to one-half the width of the side wall 10, and is hingedly connected along a fold line 20 to a handle panel 21. The combined widths of the glue flap 17 and handle panel 21 is substantially equal to the width of the side wall panel 10. The handle panel 21 is hingedly connected along a fold line 22 which is also parallel to the previously described fold lines to a handle reinforcing panel 23. In order to provide tapered ends on the handle panel 21, the ends of the handle panel are provided with inclined cut edges 24 which converge together from the fold line 20 to the fold line 22. The reinforcing panel 23 is also provided with inclined end edges 25 which diverge parts from the fold line 22 so as to coincide with the inclined edges 24- when the panels 21 and 23 are in face contact.

In order to provide a handle opening or finger opening in the handle panel 21, the fold line 20 is centrally interrupted by a U-shaped cut lie 26 having a base portion 27 and substantially parallel end portions 29 which terminate at the fold line 20. The U-shaped out line 26 thus defines a generally rectangular tab 30 which remains in the plane of the glue flap 17, and forms a central extension thereof.

The ends of the carton are defined by parallel fold lines 31 which are at right angles to the previously described fold lines. Closure flaps 32, 33, 34 and 35 are hingedly connected to the panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 along along the fold lines 31. The glue flap 17 also includes closure flaps 36 connected thereto along substantial extenzions of the fold lines 31.

In forming the carton A, adhesive is applied to the handle reinforcing panel 23 or to the surface of the handle panel 21 with which the reinforcing panel comes in contact. The blank is then folded along the fold line 22, bringing the handle reinforcing panel 23 into face contact with the handle panel 21 adhering the two panels together. As is indicated in FIGURE 3, the free edge of the reinforcing panel 23 is notched as indicated at 37 to correspond with the shape of the cut line 26. When the handle reinforcing panel 23 is folded, the edge of the carton appears as indicated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

To complete the folding of the flat blank, the carton is folded along the fold line 15 to fold the face panel 11 and side wall 10 over the opposite panels 12 and 13. Adhesive is applied to the glue flap 17 as well as to the closure flaps 36 attached thereto. The blank is then folded along the fold line 19 to bring the glue flap 17 into face contact with the side wall 10, and to bring the closure flaps 36 into contact with the closure flaps 32 hinged to the side wall 10. When the folding is completed, the carton blank appears as indicated in FIGURE of the drawings.

The carton A is closed in the conventional manner. Normally the end wall closure flaps 32 and 34 are folded into a common plane and the face panel closure flaps 33 and 35 are adhered in face contact outwardly of the end wall closure flaps. Usually the contents are inserted after one end is closed and the other end closure is then completed.

Due to the fact that the handle panel normally lies substantially fiat against the side Wall of the carton, the closed cartons require but little more room than conventional cartons. When it is desired to carry the carton, the handle panel 21 and the reinforcing panel 23 adhered thereto are folded upwardly into right angular relation with respect to the side wall 10 and the glue flap 17, providing an opening designed to accommodate the fingers of the person carrying the carton.

The closure flaps 36 are of importance as they greatly increase the strength of the handle. If these closure flaps 36 are omitted, the weight of the carton and its contents depend upon the glue seal between the glue flap 17 and the side wall 10; and if this glue seam is somewhat defective, the glue flap can tear away from the side Wall 10, splitting the carton open. However, by providing the closure flaps 36 at the end of the glue flap 17, the weight of the carton and contents is actually distributed to the end wall structures, and it is necessary for the glue flaps 36 to either tear off or shear off in order for the carton to split open. By the use of the closure flaps 36, the handle is capable of sustaining considerably more weight than if these closure flaps are omitted.

The rectangular tab 30 also strengthens the attachment of the glue flap 17 to the side wall panel 10 by extending beyond the fold line 20. When the carton is being carried, the weight of the contents tends to break the glue flap adhesive bond. By providing the tab 30, the pull is distributed to an area beyond the rest of the glue flap, distributing resistance to separation over a larger area, and reducing the tendency for the glue flap to peel away from the side wall 10.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my carrier handle; and While I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A carrier carton including:

opposed parallel face panels and opposed parallel side panels connected in tubular relation along parallel fold lines,

a glue panel hinged to the edge of a face panel and adhered in face contact with the outer surface of one side panel to hold the panels in rectangular tubular relation,

a handle panel hinged to the edge of said glue flap along a fold line parallel to the fold lines connecting said panels,

a U-shaped cut line in said handle panel having its ends terminating at said fold line and defining an area intermediate the ends of said fold line which forms a central extension of said glue flap, said central extension being adhered in face contact With said one side panel, and

a handle reinforcing panel hinged to said handle panel and secured in face contact therewith.

2. The structure of claim 1 and including end closure flaps secured in superposed relation closing the ends of said tubularly arranged panels, and including closure flaps on the ends of said glue flap free of attachment with said handle panel and adhered in face contact to the closure flaps on said one side panel.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which the combined widths of said glue flap and said handle panel are substantially equal to the width of the side panel to which it is secured.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,693,310 11/1954 Stopper 229-52 2,874,870 2/ 1959 Collura 229-52 2,911,136 11/1959 Stone 229-52 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 229-52 

